photographs by Jean Kirkpatrick rscj
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What
a wonderful experience, to be amongst 250,000 people walking along
Princes Street in Edinburgh while lots of others just looked on. I was
up with my sister that day and so was able to take the local bus into
Edinburgh on Saturday morning and walk across Holyrood Park to get to
the Meadows, where we had been asked to assemble. It was a glorious day
and on my way, I passed the new parliament building which has been
criticised so much. I found it very striking and pleasing to the eye,
but because of the G8 meetings, we were not allowed anywhere near.
Police were everywhere.
Between 10-12 am, the Meadows
filled with a vast crowd all dressed in white, and in carnival mood.
There were people of all ages, a few in wheelchairs gallantly pushed by
relatives, and two elderly women pushing bikes beside me. I wondered
how many small children got lost. We were entertained with speeches,
music, and all sorts of diversions. I heard the Moderator of the
Church of Scotland and our Scottish Cardinal, O'Brien, followed by some
actor from Lord of the Rings, who got a great welcome. Moving off was
very slow, but very well organised and everyone was waving a banner.
Mine was from Oxfam as being not too large and unwieldy. It was great
to be part of that huge crowd walking down to Princes Street, The
castle was draped with a huge MAKE POVERTY HISTORY banner. I broke
ranks in Princes Street and stayed to watch the people pass for an
hour, thinking I might see the contingent from Leeds or other RSCJ, but
it was impossible.
What struck me at first was what a
very "white" group we were. It is true there was a great banner saying
?Make Mugabe History", led by a man, presumably from Zimbabwe and
backed up by drums playing African music, and another African with his
banners all saying "Leave it to the Africans". The main message I
picked up was the need to make it possible for individual Africans to
start their own businesses and to change the world's trading practices
so that Africans can sell their goods and benefit their economy. It was just so good to be part of a crowd, full of goodwill and happiness, from all over Britain wanting to make a difference to the lives of people in Africa, knowing that that may mean changes to our own life styles.
Vivien Bowman rscj
Province of England ? Wales
